The Prior Performing Arts Center, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, unites music, theater, and visual arts in a unified facility. The Beehive is the heart of the building, a three-story atrium and café that invites the campus and public into a shared creative space and offers views into rehearsal, performance, and gallery areas.

The center includes a 400-seat proscenium theater for concerts, recitals, and theatrical productions; a flexible 200-seat studio theater; rehearsal and practice rooms; a recording studio; dressing rooms; and costume storage. A large rehearsal room adjacent to a catering kitchen also supports events and gatherings with views across Worcester.

The Cantor Art Gallery features expanded exhibition space to showcase the college’s permanent collection and host major exhibitions. Outdoor gardens anchor the building’s corners, including an amphitheater for open-air performances and gatherings. High-performance lighting, audio-visual, and theatrical systems support a wide range of programming across disciplines.

Photography: © Iwan Baan and © Brett Beyer

The Visual and Performing Arts Center at Western Connecticut State University combines the art, music, and theatre arts departments within three architecturally distinct wings connected by a multi-tiered public lobby. The facility combines performance, academic, and public spaces in one integrated venue.

The concert hall seats 350 and features variable acoustics, advanced performance lighting and audio, 5:1 HD recording capabilities, and two concert grand pianos: a Steinway Model D (Hamburg) and a Yamaha CFX. The main stage theatre includes a 38-foot proscenium, an orchestra pit for up to 30 musicians, and a full rigging system with 51 manual line sets. Lighting and sound systems include more than 400 ETC fixtures, Varilite and Martin automated lighting, Eos consoles, and Digico audio controls.

The recording studio features a Solid State Logic Duality audio console, a live room with two isolation booths, and a Yamaha CF4 Grand Piano. Digital recording is possible from any of the building’s five audio-equipped performance and rehearsal spaces.

Other program elements include instructional spaces for music and studio art, an art gallery with floor-to-ceiling windows, a Panelock System 200 display system, a centralized box office, a shared public lobby, and administrative and faculty offices.

Photography: © Robert Benson Photography

ClarkDietrich Building Systems Innovation Award for Design Excellence and Construction

The renovation of two historic structures, the 1928 Gothic-style Swartwout Building, and the 1866 Street Hall, expanded the Yale University Art Gallery to span more than an entire block of Chapel Street. The project enlarged exhibition galleries, collection study spaces, and classrooms while preserving the architectural character of both buildings.

Work included upgrades to public education areas, offices for the education department, additional collection storage and support spaces, and a new mechanical system to maintain humidity control for the museum’s holdings.

A central feature of the renovation was the creation of the Nolen Center for Art and Education. Located on the ground floor of Street Hall, originally home to Yale’s School of Fine Art, the center reestablished the building’s dual purpose as a space for teaching and exhibition and serves as a hub for student and community engagement.

Silver Award of Merit

The Ocean House, built in 1868, is a grand Victorian landmark overlooking the Atlantic Ocean from the bluff at Watch Hill. With its columned porches, multi-paned windows, and intricate architectural detailing, the hotel has been a coastal icon for over a century before undergoing a complete reconstruction to preserve its historic character while introducing modern luxury accommodations.

Significant site preparation and demolition preceded the construction of the new structure, which faithfully recreates the original hotel’s 1905-era design. The project incorporates 30,000 square feet of porches and roof terraces, 48 hotel rooms, 24 private residences, and underground parking. New amenities include a world-class spa, indoor lap pool, fitness center, and three seasonal dining venues, allowing the hotel to operate year-round.

Located steps from a white sand beach, Ocean House continues to serve as a premier destination on the Rhode Island coastline. The project also included constructing an eighty-car surface parking lot across the street. Recognized for its craftsmanship and attention to detail, Ocean House has received numerous accolades, including Travel + Leisure’s Top Hotel designation, Condé Nast’s Gold List, and inclusion among Fodor’s 100 Best Hotels.

Build New England Award

Forbes Five Star Property (2015, 2023, 2024, 2026)

Phase 2 of the Bakalar & Paine Galleries renovation at Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) included 45,000 square feet of interior upgrades and the completion of an exterior plaza initiated initially in Phase 1. Designed by designLAB, the project focused on revitalizing gallery-affiliated spaces to support new and expanded programming while improving accessibility and building systems.

Interior work included extensive demolition, full abatement of asbestos-containing materials, MEP upgrades, and the addition of a new elevator to bring the facility in line with current ADA standards. Select spaces were reconfigured to accommodate future exhibitions and events, while classroom and support areas in the South Building were renovated for full code compliance. This included demolition and replacement of all plumbing and electrical systems and life safety and accessibility improvements.

Photography: ©Peter Vanderwarker

CMAA Project Achievement Award

The Schwarzman Center creates a dedicated space for student life within a restored 114-year-old facility at Yale University. Located in the heart of campus, the project encompasses four floors across two interconnected buildings. The historic Commons, the complex’s centerpiece, serves as a venue for university-wide events, student dining, and year-round programming.

The center includes flexible event spaces, student meeting rooms, creative dining venues, and integrated technology to support a wide range of activities and performances. Renovations included complete building upgrades, MEP and systems modernization, a significant addition, and the removal and replacement of the original first-floor slab. The scope also required extensive structural demolition, underpinning, and foundation work to accommodate a new entrance to the lower level.

The team completed structural repairs, temporarily shored architectural exterior columns, installed new elevators, and restructured retaining walls. The building features multiple exterior finishes and high-efficiency systems. Sitework included underground utilities and coordination within a congested campus environment. The project achieved LEED Gold certification.

In addition to the primary scope, Dimeo was engaged alongside Wiss, Janney, and Elstner Associates to address the deterioration of the building’s dome. This work included erecting full scaffolding, installing supplemental steel, and replacing one-third of the upper lead-coated copper cladding.

Photography: © Francis Dzikowski / OTTO